The invention relates to improving the power output in a combined cycle turbine system and, more particularly, to utilization of atomizing air heat rejection by integrating with the bottoming cycle for improving the power output of the combined cycle.
In a typical combined cycle system, a gas turbine combusts a fuel/air mixture which expands to turn the turbine and drive a generator for the production of electricity. The hot gases of combustion exhaust into a heat recovery steam generator in which water is converted to steam in the manner of a boiler. Steam thus produced drives a steam turbine, typically comprising high, intermediate and low pressure turbines, in which additional work is extracted to drive a further load such as a second generator for producing additional electric power. In some configurations, the gas and steam turbines drive a common generator and, in others, drive different generators.
Liquid fuel machines use a portion of compressor discharge air for atomization. The compressor discharge air (CPD) is cooled, moisture separated and supplied to the atomizing air (AA) compressor. The high pressure air from the AA compressor is used for atomization of liquid fuel for efficient combustion. The CPD air is cooled by rejecting heat to closed cooling water in a heat exchanger. It would be desirable to use this rejected heat more efficiently.